Love like This
by Toonces
Summary: Booth and Temperance give in to their feelings for one another, but not without some heartache.
1. Chapter 1

This story takes place during season one.

Originally Published on May 15, 2006

Revised on July 14, 2008

* * *

**_Love like This _**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Angela watched with concern as her friend walked quickly down the steps of the platform and then turned to look at Booth who was leaning against the railing, flipping a red and white poker chip into the air as if nothing had just happened. She then stared at the skeleton lying on the examination table: a thirty-five year old woman with a bashed in skull and multiple stab wounds to the back.

"Booth, why do you do that?" the artist asked as she moved to stand directly in front of him, her ever present sketch book pressed to her chest.

"Do what?" he asked, only halfway paying attention.

"Why do you treat Brennan as if she doesn't have any feelings?" That got his attention. He caught the chip out of the air and stared at her blankly. "Couldn't you tell that she was upset just now?" Angela asked him disbelievingly.

"What? That?" he said, jerking his thumb the way Bones had just gone.

"Yeah, _that_," she said annoyed.

"Come on, Angela. Bones isn't upset. That's just the way our partnership works. She's the robot scientist with facts and I'm the tough guy cop with the people skills. We quip back and forth…it's what we do," he shrugged, resuming his game of catch.

"Well, you're people skills aren't much better than hers if all you can do is tell her that she's an unfeeling zombie," Hodgins butted in from one of the lower decks surrounding the main platform.

"I did not call her an _unfeeling zombie_," Booth said, giving Hodgins a dirty look.

"You may as well have," chimed in Zack as he studied the right humerus of the victim closely. "The highly intelligent are often misunderstood as being cold and aloof."

Booth was getting annoyed at the way the Squints seemed to be ganging up on him.

"The point is, Booth, Brennan may not have much in the way of people skills, but it's not because she's cold or uncaring. It's just the way she is," Angela shrugged. "You must know by now that she only had herself to depend on when she was growing up. She didn't have anyone to tell her that things would be okay or to hold her when she was sad. She had to get through all of those moments by herself."

"I doubt she would be where she is today if she always let her emotions get in the way of things," Hodgins said. "Sometimes you need people who can get the job done objectively without breaking down all the time."

"O-o-kay," Booth said holding up his hand and backing away, "I think I've had enough of Squintsville for one day."

They all watched as he strolled down the steps and out of sight. Angela knew that she was being hard on him. She was usually telling Brennan to go easy on him, but she saw the brief flicker of hurt in her friend's eyes at the remarks Booth had made and she became defensive of her. She would be the first to admit that Brennan's people skills were lacking and she would be lying if she said it didn't bother her at times, but she would have never handled the situation the way Booth did. They had been partners for nearly six months and she would have thought Booth would have a better outlook on the kind of person Brennan was. She knew Brennan cared about the victims as much as any of them, maybe more. Why else would someone do such a gruesome job?

* * *

Booth walked swiftly toward the exit of the Jeffersonian, but quickly changed direction and headed toward Bones' office. He would prove to the Squints that they were wrong. He knew she wasn't unfeeling, but she had no tact when it came to dealing with the victims or the families and that was something she was going to have to work on if they were to continue working together.

"Hey, Bones," he said as he approached her office, "I'm gonna go grab some lunch and then we can…" He trailed off as he looked around the immaculate office only to find it empty. Her lab coat was lying across the back of her chair and her desk had been cleared of the files that were littering it earlier. Booth shrugged and left the office. He would just catch up with her later. As he exited the massive building, the Squints' words from earlier rang through his mind.

* * *

Temperance unlocked the door to her apartment after stopping at a corner market for a few groceries. It was only three in the afternoon, and while she normally would have gone back to the lab, she decided that it was a nice day for a break. There weren't any new leads on the case at the moment anyway, and contrary to popular belief, she did enjoy the occasional day off. She decided she would check in with Booth later, but right now, she simply wanted to be left alone. She and Booth seemed to be clashing more than usual, if that was possible, and their conversation from earlier came back to her.

"_The victim appears to have been killed from multiple stab wounds to the back, leaving marks to the fifth, sixth and seventh thoracic vertebrae. Victim also has extensive damage to the mandible and temporal bone." Brennan hit the pause button on the small recorder and moved to one of the work stations to jot down more notes._

"_What kind of twisted bastard would do this to a woman?" Booth said from where he had been watching._

_She turned to face him and sighed. She knew how much the cases affected him, how he treated each one as if it were personal, but she was a firm believer in remaining objective. "Booth, we can't let our emotions interfere before we find out all the facts."_

_Booth huffed. "Look, Bones, it's not as easy for everyone else as it is for you to turn off their feeling. Not all of us have emotional switches. I see more than just a pile of bones lying on that table."_

_Brennan didn't say anything as she turned back to the remains on the table._

She should have been used to his remarks by now. She was used to most people feeling that way about her, but somehow it felt different when the comments came from Booth. It hurt.

Pushing the thoughts aside, she moved into her bedroom to change clothes and was making her way back into the kitchen when the phone rang.

"Brennan," she answered in her usual manner.

"_What happened to you?_" came the concerned voice of Angela. "_It's not like you to leave without telling anyone?_"

"Sorry, Ange. I was just tired and I have a headache," Temperance explained as she began unpacking her groceries.

"_Are you okay, sweetie?_" her friend asked gently.

"Ange, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Her brow furrowed as she realized she'd picked up the wrong kind of sauce.

"_Well, Booth was kind of a jerk this morning. I could tell you were upset, Brennan._"

Temperance sighed and walked into the living room. "I wasn't upset, Ange. It must have been the headache." She knew that Angela was only trying to look out for her, but she didn't want to admit that Booth had hurt her feelings, the ones he seemed to think she didn't have. Changing the subject, she asked, "Did Zack finish with the skull?"

"_Yeah, he finished about an hour ago. I'm working on a sketch now,_" Angela said, realizing that Brennan didn't want to talk about Booth and allowing it for the time being.

"Alright, I'll check back in later on," Temperance said.

"_You'd better_," Angela warned.

Temperance smiled and hung up the phone after saying goodbye. She really did have a headache. After letting out a jaw popping yawn, she decided that food could wait and walking into her bedroom, she plopped down on the bed for a much needed nap.

* * *

After leaving the Jeffersonian for the second time that day, Booth pulled out his cell phone to dial Brennan's home phone number. He lost count of how many times he had dialed her cell. Climbing into his SUV, he waited for her to pick up, but got no answer. He opted not to leave a message and decided he would drive over to check on her instead. It wasn't like her to take time off during the middle of an investigation, and, not for the first time that day, his words from that morning came back to haunt him and he was afraid that maybe the Squints had been right.

Booth parked on the street behind her silver sports car, relieved that she was home, but unsure about why she wasn't answering her phone? Walking to her door, he noticed that none of the lights were on and after knocking and still getting no answer, he pulled out his keys, flipping through them until he came to her house key. It had been his idea to exchange the keys in case of an emergency. Sometimes, Bones wasn't always careful, but instead of admitting that he worried about her, he made up some outlandish excuse as to why it was a good idea for partners to have each other's key.

"Bones?" he called out as he entered her home. Still no response. Turning on one of the lamps in the living room, he looked around to see that everything was in order. He checked the kitchen to see grocery bags sitting on the counter and finally, he made his way down the hall to her bedroom. The door was open and he peeked inside to see her form on the bed. Walking closer still, he heard her deep, even breathing. "Bones?" he called again, softly this time. When she didn't answer, he bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. He called to her again and watched as she pulled herself out of the deep slumber.

"Booth?" she said, sitting up slowly. He reached over to turn on the lamp and watched as she squinted against the sudden brightness. "What time is it? What are you doing here?"

Booth forced his eyes from the exposed skin of her arms and shoulders to the artwork that hung on the walls and answered her. "Bones, its past eight o'clock and I've been trying to call you," he said, watching as she stood up from the bed on shaky legs and walked out of the room. He followed her into the kitchen where she got a glass of water.

Temperance squeezed her eyes shut trying to remove the last vestiges of sleep. "Is there something new concerning the case?" she asked sipping the water.

"Uh, _yeah_, that's why I've been calling," Booth said. "Angela gave me the sketch. The woman's name is Carol Montgomery. I went ahead and talked to the husband and the kids without you."

It was on the tip of her tongue to accuse him of talking the family without her on purpose, but she was in no mood to argue with him. She moaned tiredly. "I've been sleeping for over five hours."

"Yeah, well, you must have needed it if you were sleeping so hard you didn't hear the phone or me knocking on the door," Booth said from the living room, looking at the rapidly blinking red light on the answering machine. He plopped down onto the couch and closed his eyes. It had been a long day and he was as tired as Temperance looked. "You're not sick or anything, are you, Bones?" Booth asked. He was suddenly up from the couch and standing next to her in the kitchen again.

"What?" she asked looking at him like he was crazy. "No, I'm not sick. I just didn't get much sleep last night and I had a headache."

"Well, if you'd go home at a decent time like normal people and not hang around the dead until all hours of the night…" he trailed off.

_Go home to what,_ she thought to herself.

Booth noticed the strange look that came across her face and immediately regretted his words. "Look, Bones, why don't you just go on back to bed and we'll get started first thing in the morning." He placed his hand on her shoulders, swallowing hard at how smooth her skin was, and began ushering her back to her room.

"No, I can't," she said breaking free of his grip. "I think I'll go back to the lab and do some work. Zack and Hodgins probably left reports for me in the office. I can go over them and maybe gather more clues as to who killed her," she said.

"Uhn-uhn, Bones, there is no way you are going back to the lab tonight," he said grabbing her hand and leading her into the living room. "You just sit here and…do whatever it is…that you do," he said gesturing. He took off his coat and began rolling up his sleeves.

"What are you doing?" Temperance asked confused. "You're not staying," she said.

"Yes," Booth said matter-of-factly, "I am…for as long as it takes me to cook us dinner." He flashed a smile, rubbed his hands together and headed back into the kitchen. "Looks like you've got the makings for spaghetti in here," he said peeking into the bags scattered along the counter. _Wow, she really must be tired_, Booth thought to himself. He definitely expected more of an argument form her about his staying.

Temperance watched him for a few minutes from the living room, clanking pans and asking where things were from time to time. Then she headed to the bathroom for a shower, hoping it would clear her sleepy mind.

* * *

By the time she was finished, the delicious smell of tomato sauce and spices had permeated the air. "Booth, I didn't know you could cook," she said as she walked over to the table where a steaming plate was waiting for her.

"Of course I can cook, Bones. I cook for Parker all the time." He came over to the table with a glass of milk for himself and wine for her. "I didn't know what you wanted to drink."

"This is fine," she said taking a small sip of the deep red liquid.

He watched as she dug into her food. "You like?" he asked.

"It's delicious."

"Yeah, as delicious as you can get with Ragu," he said taking a healthy bite. He pointed at her with his fork. "Ya know, Bones, I'm gonna have to teach you how to cook from scratch sometime."

"What's wrong with Ragu? I use it all the time," she said taking another bite.

Booth only smiled and they continued to eat in silence. He watched her discretely, knowing that he should apologize to her for what happened earlier. He thought she looked beautiful sitting there in her pajamas, her hair wet from her shower. His gaze traveled up to her eyes and she was looking right at him, but neither said anything as they continued eating.

A short while later, Temperance sat in the den at her computer while Booth was in the kitchen doing the dishes. She told him that she would take care of it, considering he had cooked, but for some reason he insisted. She didn't understand why he was being so nice to her. Looking at the corner of the computer screen, she saw that it was almost ten o'clock. He would probably be leaving soon and the thought of it left her deflated. She hadn't minded being home today—even if she did sleep for five hours in the middle of the day—and she reluctantly admitted to herself that it was because she had someone to share the time with. She had Booth to share it with. As much as they argued, as much as they fussed with each other, she loved his company.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the soft sound of music floating through the speakers. It was jazz. Of all the CDs she owned, she would have never thought that Booth would have picked smooth jazz. With a curious smile, she left the den to find him bobbing his head to the beat and reading through the rest of her collection.

"Booth?" He turned around and gave her a boyish grin.

"I hope you don't mind, Bones."

"No, not at all," she said walking over to him. Suddenly, he pulled her into an embrace and they moved together to the rhythm of the music. "I wouldn't have expected you to be interested in this genre of music. You strike me much more as the type who would enjoy psychedelic rock bands, whose concerts largely consist of improvisational music, such as those of The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Phish, Cream, Widespread Panic…jam bands. They sometimes improvise around the chord progressions of pre-composed songs, incorporating variations on recognizable themes, riffs and rhythms, while allowing for unexpected detours of unpredictable duration," she finished. She became sensitive to the proximity of him, the feel of his muscled chest, his warm hands and the scent of his cologne. She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the moment.

Booth wasn't immune to the feel of her either. His nose rested against her hair, which smelled like strawberries, and her skin was warm under his hands. Somehow, holding her so close felt right. "Well, isn't jazz improvised music?" he asked, trying to focus on something other than how good she felt in his arms.

"You're right," she said, lifting her head from its comfortable spot. "Free jazz, or avant-garde jazz, is a subgenre that, while rooted in bebop, typically uses less compositional material and allows performers more latitude in what they choose to play." She was enjoying this conversation.

They continued to sway as the next song began and Booth found himself quite intrigued by what she was saying. Eventually, the conversation tapered off and before either of them knew it, they had dance through three different songs.

"Bones," Booth said softly. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Look, about this morning…I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings with the whole emotional switch thing. I know you aren't unfeeling, Bones."

"It's alright, Booth," she said resting her head on his shoulder again. "It's what we do, right?"

Her words, his words to Angela earlier, hit him like a slap in the face. Was that all they were about, bickering and cutting remarks? He realized that he didn't want that to be all. "No, it's not right," he said stopping their dance. "Bones, I know we've got our banter thing…but you are my friend," he told her sincerely.

"Thank you, Booth," she said. It was nice to know that she wasn't just a nuisance to him. "You know, I do feel things and I do care, but if I let my emotions get in the way, then we'd never get anything done. We'd never catch the sick people who do these unthinkable things to other human beings. I can't cry over every victim that comes to me." She removed her head from his shoulder again and looked up at him. "But what I can do is help to bring them justice. We do that together, Booth, and I love it," she finished softly.

He was moved by her words. She didn't show her emotional side often, but when she did, he felt charmed by her. He ran the back of his fingers down the side of her face. They were standing so close and he could see ever detail of her piercing, blue eyes. Slowly, he leaned in until his lips brushed hers lightly. He pulled back to find her eyes closed and decided that that meant she wasn't going to kick his ass for kissing her. He leaned in again, this time his lips taking a firmer hold of hers.

Temperance's entire body tingled at the feel of him. She couldn't remember one man in her life that had _ever_ stirred such a reaction inside of her. But Booth was different than any of the others. She usually dated men who were interested in the same things she was. Men who enjoyed intellectual conversations, who liked to study, reflect, speculate on, or ask and answer questions with regard to a variety of different ideas. Booth was the total opposite of that. It wasn't that he wasn't capable of intellect, but he tended to rely more on his gut and his heart rather than facts. She had heard the phrase 'opposites attract' and she was starting to get a better understanding of it.

Their kisses continued and Temperance felt his hands slide down to her hips. Her hands were resting somewhere between his chest and his stomach. She moaned as she felt his tongue tasting her lips and she readily granted him access, meeting it with her own.

After a few moments, Booth felt her pulling away from him and he was afraid that maybe he had gone too far, but instead, she took his hand, laced their finger together and pulled him over to the stereo to turn it off. Then she turned to kiss him again and led him down the hallway to her bedroom.

* * *

They took their time, an article of clothing removed with soft kisses placed on the newly exposed skin. Booth nearly exploded as she placed kisses along his chest and neck and he returned the favor as his hands massaged her soft skin. Once they were naked, he guided her backwards onto the bed and followed her down, leaning in to continue the kisses while settling his hips against hers. He trailed his moist lips down her throat to her breasts where he took his time.

Temperance ran her fingers through his thick hair enjoying the feel of his mouth on her body. His lips trailed even further down to her flat stomach and she moaned as his tongue circled her navel before dipping inside. Pulling him up for more passionate kisses, she pushed until he was lying on his back and she was straddling him.

"Temperance," he moaned as she kissed his collarbone, her lips moving down to his chest where she teased a nipple. Booth couldn't believe it. One minute he was teasing Bones, as usual, and the next he was making love to Temperance.

Bodies joined in the most intimate way, Booth and Temperance moved together in a deep rhythm. He rested his forehead against hers, breath and sweat mingling as a hand smoothed across her hip and down her thigh. He felt her hands roaming across his back as she tried to pull him even closer. "Booth," she whimpered into his ear. He could feel her getting close, her hips rocking uncontrollably.

* * *

They lay together afterwards, Temperance on top of Booth, one of his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Booth," she whispered, "what now? What does this mean?" She didn't regret that they had made love, but she would be lying if she said she didn't have concerns. Would they still be able to work together without it being awkward?

"Well," he said rolling them over until they were both laying on their sides and facing one another, "I know what it means to me. I care about you, Temperance…a lot." More than he ever thought he would.

"I care about you, too, Booth," she said softly. He pushed some hair away from her face and leaned in to kiss her. It was after one in the morning and both of them were tired. Temperance reached over to turn the lamp off and then snuggled back into Booth's warmth.

"We'll talk more in the morning," he whispered. She nodded against his chest and soon they were asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Love like This **_

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Booth woke early the next morning to the sound of the shower running and found himself a little disappointed that she hadn't waited for him. All sorts of things ran through his head and he wondered if she was regretting their actions after all. He wasn't. He had never cared for a woman like he did his Bones. As much as she aggravated him, he found her fascinating. As much as she argued with him, he couldn't stay away from her. He still wasn't sure how he'd fallen for the one person who frustrated him like no other. Maybe it was the fact that she was the most genuine person he'd ever met. What you saw was what you got with Bones. She wasn't the type of woman who played games with a man, unlike Parker's mother Rebecca, and even Tessa to some extent. Things with Tessa were nice when they actually got a chance to be together, but most of his time was spent with Bones. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he hadn't minded it so much. Many times, Tessa would be at his place when he arrived home, but his thoughts would still be with his partner. Did she go home after he had left her at the lab that night or did she stay and work late as usual? He and Tessa had fun, but they really didn't have anything worthwhile to begin with.

It was different with Temperance though. One night of intense lovemaking and he was hooked. _Who am I kidding,_ he thought to himself. He had been captivated by her for some time, but yesterday had finally brought about the opportunity for him to show her. Closing his eyes, he pictured her body as she cried out his name, the intensity in her eyes. He smiled, remembering how he had called her name, too. He shifted uncomfortably underneath the blankets, finding himself wanting her again. His prayers were answered when she strolled into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her torso.

"You're awake," she said with a small smile. Booth smiled in return and crooked a finger at her, motioning for her to come to him. She obliged and he pulled her down onto the bed next to him. "Booth," she whimpered, only halfway resisting the kisses he placed on her neck and shoulders. Her skin was still wet from the shower. "We have to get to work." Her breathing picked up as his hand ran along her thigh, his long fingers sneaking past the edge of the towel. "I need to get to the lab and look at the reports that the team probably left for me." She tingled with pleasure as his fingers crept closer to her most sensitive flesh. Her legs parted of their own will.

"It's only six-thirty," Booth said. He abandoned the warmth underneath her towel and received a low, albeit, sexy growl for his teasing. He opted instead to remove the towel altogether. He moved until he was hovering above her and bent down to take a hard nipple into his mouth. Temperance moaned loudly and he was almost ready to abandon the game he had started. He felt himself growing harder at the noises she was making, but he forced himself to keep control as his kisses moved down passed her navel. His tongue delved into the smooth, soft flesh, pink with arousal, and it was his turn to moan at the taste and scent of her. He felt her fingers in his hair, tugging roughly, and his hands moved to steady her hips.

Temperance thought she would die from the pure, delicious torture of it.

* * *

It was nine o'clock by the time they had finally pulled away from each other.

"This is your entire fault, I hope you know. I wanted to get there early and make up for all of the time I took off," Temperance said as she sat on the passenger side of the SUV.

"I'll gladly take the blame," Booth said giving her a cheeky smile. "And besides, you only took of a half a day really. We'll get this case solved in no time," he said.

"You didn't even have time to go home and change. Angela has eyes like a hawk. She's going to know that something is up."

"Bones, will you calm down? No one is going to know anything. Besides, would it be so bad if they did? I don't mind people knowing how I feel about you," he said with conviction.

Temperance looked over to him, her gaze softening. "Booth, its not that I'm afraid of people knowing…" she trailed off suddenly uncertain. "It's just that…well, I've never actually felt this way about someone before and I was hoping that we could just enjoy it privately for a while. I know that Angela only means well, but if she finds out, we'll never hear the end of it. She'll only make it harder for us to keep our professional and personal lives separate."

Booth reached over to take her hand and placed a kiss on her fingers. "Don't worry, Bones. I don't mind keeping this just between us for now. I kind of like having you to myself, too."

Temperance smiled at him fondly and Booth let go of her hand as he pulled the vehicle into her reserved parking spot.

"Don't worry, Bones," he said as they walked inside. She was looking a little antsy. "We're professionals. We'll do our jobs just like any other day." She gave him a stiff nod and he could almost see the 'lets get down to business' persona wash over her. Giving her one last crooked smile, they entered the Jeffersonian ready to get to work.

* * *

Temperance could feel his eyes on her as she worked. Every so often she would throw a discreet glance his way, only to find that he was looking off someplace else. Images of last night and that morning continually ran through her head. Sex with Michael had been great, but it had never distracted her from her work. Booth had been on her mind non stop.

So far, none of the others had noticed anything different between them. If Angela had, she wouldn't have wasted anytime commenting on it in front of everyone. They had done well in hiding the change in their relationship though. They had even bickered some and it wasn't just for the sake of hiding their newfound love.

Love?

_It couldn't be love_, Temperance thought as she held a tiny, jagged piece of metal underneath the magnifying glass. She would know if it was love. Looking up at the feel of his stare again, her heart fluttered and she wondered why he wasn't doing work at his own office. She already couldn't get him out of her head. She didn't need his physical presence reminding her as well.

After instructing Zack to try and find out what type of metal it was and where it came from, she headed to her office. Booth hadn't followed her right away and she was glad for the breather. She had never been so overwhelmed by one person before. As she sat at her desk doing paperwork, she found herself wanting to feel his kisses and the touch of his hands.

_This has to stop_, she said to herself. Her work was too important to be distracted by a man. The slightest slip in concentration and she could miss an important detail. She decided that she was going to send him away when he came into her office speaking into his cell phone. He snapped it shut after a few minutes and looked at her.

"We've got a lead, Bones."

With a sigh, she grabbed what she needed and followed him without hesitation.

* * *

A few hours later, they had discovered that Carol Montgomery and her husband Ron had been seen leaving their house at nearly three in the morning, one day before he had reported her missing, something he had failed to mention in their initial questioning of him. He had just moved up to number one in the short list of suspects they had gathered so far.

Now, they were at the park, sitting in a small gazebo that was facing the water. It was a bright and clear day and Booth had insisted on going there for lunch, but not much consumption was happening.

"Booth, I thought we came here to eat," Temperance said in between his kisses. She couldn't have stopped him even if she wanted to. It didn't make any sense. There was no reason for her to be feeling so out of control around this man just because they'd had sex together.

"We did come here to eat," he said devouring her lips.

"I though you meant food, not each other," she said, causing Booth to shake with laughter.

"Don't I taste good?" he asked.

Temperance thought about it for a moment. "Well, if I had to guess, I'd say that you tasted like some sort of mint flavor."

Booth smiled. "I've been eating breath mints all morning."

"Well, as pleasant as you taste, I don't think it's going to stop my hunger pangs." She reached around him and grabbed for the bag of sandwiches they had picked up earlier and then leaned back against him comfortably.

Booth sat back and watched as she took a small nibble of her sandwich, taking a bite when she offered it to him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her after a few minutes. She picked at the crust of the bread before answering.

"I'm thinking that you're distracting me from my work," she answered honestly. She looked up at him to see that he was proud of the fact, judging by the smirk on his face.

"That's okay. You distract me, too," he said leaning down for yet another kiss. He was stopped by her hand over his mouth.

"No, Booth. That's all we've been doing is kissing."

"Again, that's okay," he smiled.

"I have to be able to focus fully on my work and I couldn't do that this morning when you were around." She had a feeling that it didn't really matter whether he was there or not. "What if I had missed some key piece of evidence? In our line of work, that could make or break the case."

Booth put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Relax, Bones. You're getting all worked up for nothing."

"I hardly call missing some key piece of evidence nothing."

"Ah, but you see, you didn't miss any key pieces of evidence…"

"Yeah, that we know of…"

"You see what you're doing here? You're making up all these scenarios because you're scared…"

"Scared of what?" she interrupted. Her gaze traveled out over the water as he spoke.

"You're scared of what you're feeling for me," he said matter-of-factly. "It's perfectly normal for new lovers to be consumed by each other."

"Well, I've had lovers before and I've never felt this way." She just knew he was grinning and looked up to confirm her suspicions. She rolled her eyes and stood to walk to the entrance of the gazebo.

"Why'd you get up?" he asked following her.

She could feel his warmth on her back and she forced herself not to lean into it. "Well, I wasn't sure if there was room on the bench for me anymore. Your head and your ego seem to be growing by the second," she huffed.

Booth chuckled. "Oh, come on, Bones. I'm absolutely flattered that I'm the only man you've ever felt this way about. I feel the same way." He moved until he was pressed against her and his hands snuck around to splay across her abdomen.

"I find that hard to believe," she told him.

"What?" he asked confused. "Why?"

She turned around in his embrace to look him in the eye. "I find it hard to believe that I'm the only woman you've ever felt this way about. You're a romantic, Booth. I can't imagine that you didn't feel this way about Parker's mother and maybe even Tessa," she shrugged. Tessa was still a bit of a mystery. She knew that they had dated for several months, but she still wasn't sure why things hadn't worked out between them.

Booth thought about her statements. She wasn't completely wrong. He did have strong feelings for Rebecca, especially in the beginning of their relationship, and Tessa…Tessa was a long story. "True, but it's still different," he said, not bothering to clarify and glad that she hadn't asked him to. Maybe he was a little scared at how he was feeling, too. "I'll tell you what," he said pulling her into a hug, "I'll drop you off at home so you can get your car and then I'll go back to my office. That way, maybe we can both get some work done today," he smiled. Temperance thanked him with a kiss.

* * *

Booth sat in his office going over the case notes they had gathered so far. Now, he was starting to understand what Bones meant when she said she couldn't concentrate.

_Focus, Seeley, focus_.

He read over a few more notes and then his mind inevitably drifted back to her. He wondered if she wanted to get together after work. He knew that she would want to work late as some sort of penance for taking the day off, but he wasn't going to let her. He'd let her work until six, unless they got a lead, and then he was going to take her to dinner. With any luck, they would be spending the night together again.

It suddenly occurred to him that they still hadn't really talked about what they wanted out of their impromptu relationship. They had established that they cared about each other, but he was pretty sure they cared about each other before, too. Maybe he should ask her to be his girlfriend.

"Or maybe I'm getting ahead of myself," he said aloud. He decided that it would be best to just let things happen naturally. It seemed to be working for them so far.

* * *

They had gotten another lead before the day was finished and now they were walking back to the car in silence. Temperance looked over at Booth who was quietly fuming.

They had to talk to the victim's mother again. The husband was no longer cooperating and they needed to know if there were any problems in the marriage that might have caused Ron to have grief with his wife. They found out that Ron had an affair nearly five months ago, but supposedly, it had ended.

As they were leaving, the woman asked how her daughter had died, saying that Ron hadn't really told her much.

"_There was extensive damage to her skull and several of her vertebrae…" Booth let out a relived sigh that she had kept the explanation brief._

"…_the mandible jawbone and the temporal bone were crushed by some sort of blunt object and there were three stab wounds to her back..."_

_Booth looked at the agony on the woman's face and hung his head at his partner's tactlessness. She really _was_ clueless when it came to other people's feelings and that was exactly why he'd made the comments that day in the lab. _

"Booth, you're upset," she said once they were seated inside of the vehicle.

"Ya think?" he replied while starting the engine.

"Well, I'm not completely sure I understand why. I'm assuming that it must have been something I said."

"Bones, you have got to learn to be more sensitive to the feelings of the victims. Did you really have to go into the gory details back there?" He looked at her confused face. How could he be falling in love with her one moment and infuriated with her the next?

"She asked for the truth about what happened to her daughter. I gave it to her. You heard her in there, Booth. Ron Montgomery wouldn't tell her what really happened," she defended. "You might be surprised at how many people appreciate the plain truth."

"Oh, so now you're the expert on people?" She didn't say anything and he knew he should have stopped while he was ahead. "You know, I was thinking about having Parker over his weekend, but now I'm not so sure it's a good idea."

"Why not?" she asked incredulously.

"Because, Bones, there are certain things that a child doesn't need to hear or be exposed to and I'm not sure you could handle being cautious around him, especially if the way you handle some of these victim's families is any indication."

"What? You think you have to protect Parker from me?" She was shocked. Hadn't it been just last night and this morning that they were making love? Now, here he was treating her like he had during some of their first cases together.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you aren't really the best when it comes to discretion. I'm not sure if I'm ready for Parker to be exposed to the naked truth about certain things." He had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

"Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Telling a child the truth will only be better for him in the long run."

"Well, guess what, Bones? You're not the one that gets to decide that. I am because I'm his father."

The rest of the trip was made in hostile silence. Booth stole glances at her occasionally, but he couldn't see her face as she stared out the window. How had they gone from being lovey-dovey to biting each other's heads off? Was this how it would always be if they were to continue in a relationship? He wasn't sure if he wanted to deal with such an up and down rapport. It was bad enough when they were only fpartbers, and it would only make things even more difficult now that they were lovers.

By the time they reached the Jeffersonian, Booth had decided that he was too hard on her. If they were going to try and have something together then they certainly needed to get off to a better start. He came to a stop in front of the massive building and put the car in park.

"Listen, Temperance…" he began, but she was opening the door before he even finished saying her name. He watched as she walked quickly inside the building and he debated on whether or not to go after her. His cell phone chose that moment to ring and he saw that it was Cullen. Fist slamming into the steering wheel, he put the car in drive and sped away.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Love like This _**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Sweetie, what's wrong? And don't tell me that it's nothing."

Temperance looked up from her paperwork to see Angela standing in front of her desk. "What are you talking about, Ange?"

"Brennan, please. You've been snapping at everyone. You even snapped at Goodman and he's the boss. Did you and Booth have a fight?" she asked taking a seat.

Temperance sighed and looked back down to her paperwork. "Don't Booth and I always fight?"

"Yeah, but it's rare when I see you this upset about it."

"I'm not upset, Ange, I'm just…tired. I think maybe Dr. Goodman is right. After I finish this case with Booth, I need to take a break…a vacation." He had called her into his office earlier and pointed out the fact that she had an abundance of vacation time saved up. Then he kindly suggested that she use it.

Angela immediately brightened at the idea. "Oh, honey, you mean a real, do nothing, vacation? This'll be a first for you. Have you decided where you're going?"

"I'm not sure yet. Someplace warm maybe."

"Well, whatever you do, make sure and have fun, Sweetie. Find yourself a real, live man," Angela smiled.

They talked for a few minutes longer before Angela decided to call it a night and it was close to ten o'clock before Temperance finally left.

Booth hadn't called, so she was assuming that there was nothing new pertaining to the case. Considering he thought she was such an imbecile, she wouldn't be surprised if he had gone someplace without her. What could she have been thinking to get involved with a man who obviously thought so little of her?

The argument hadn't started out any different than the others, but it was when he brought Parker up that things took a turn. How could he not trust her with his son? How could they possibly even fathom a relationship if he didn't trust her with his child? She had gone against her better judgment about getting involved with him and now things were quickly becoming disastrous.

* * *

One day had passed since their argument, but to Booth, it felt like a week and he had been beating himself up for his harsh words to her. It was five o'clock in the morning and he found himself driving to her house in hopes of apologizing without any interruptions. Pulling into her driveway, he used his keys to let himself in and he wasn't surprised to find the kitchen light on or to hear the sound of the shower running. He walked into her bedroom and made himself comfortable until she was done, nearly asleep by the time she came out.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" she asked, her tone neutral. He was lying across her bed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans with his hair all mussed up. "Is there something new concerning the case?" She stayed in the doorway with one hand clutching her towel.

"No," he said sitting up on the bed, "I just wanted to talk to you. We didn't really part under the best circumstances last time." He gave her a sheepish smile, wishing she would yell at him or something, but she simply looked at him passively.

"Oh," was all she said. He stood up and moved towards her.

"Temperance, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I was just angry before. I didn't mean the things I said to you about Parker. I know you would never do anything to hurt him." She moved passed him and went to her dresser.

"You're right. I would never do anything to hurt him…or his innocence." She walked into the closet and came out a few moments later clad in jeans and a button down shirt. "Parker is a part of you, Booth. That means I automatically care for him." She sat on the edge of the bed and he timidly joined her.

"I know that," he said as he reached over for her hand. "I want us to try this again, Temperance." He became nervous when she didn't say anything for a moment.

"Booth, I think that what happened between us was a pretty good indicator of how things could be in the future." She let go of his hand and moved to look out the window at the dawning sun. "I think we do good work together, but if we get into this complicated relationship it'll compromise that." She turned to face him. "I don't think we're ready for this. I don't think that you've accepted that this is me and I'm not going to change just because you think I should. I've been surrounded by people my entire life who don't accept me because I'm not what they consider normal. I'm as normal as I know how to be. This isn't some façade that I put up for people. I can't help it if I'm a literal person." She sighed frustrated. "Maybe you weren't wrong about me being around Parker."

"Temperance…" Booth spoke, trying to make her understand that he didn't mean that.

"No, Booth. Sometimes, you're right. Sometimes, I can be oblivious and, sometimes, things come out of my mouth before I think. Who is to say that wouldn't happen in front of Parker?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the ceiling. "I don't see how this can work out for us in any good way. I don't see how we could come home together after a day of arguing and pretend like it didn't happen."

Booth sat with his head hanging, feeling like a heel. All of the times that he told her she wasn't normal and all of the times he had treated her like she didn't matter came back to him.

"_You see what you did right there Bones? You asked a personal question without offering anything personal in return and since I'm not a skeleton, you get zilch. Sorry."_

"_You expect me to declare war on a United States Senator based on your little holographic crystal ball?"_

"_This is exactly why squints belong in the lab. You guys don't know anything about the real world."_

"_You're great at what you do Bones but you don't solve murders. Cops do."_

He was supposed to be her friend and her partner, but instead he had treated her like everyone else had, like the people in foster care had probably treated her, like she was inadequate. How could he ever make that up to her?

"I think that maybe we need to spend some time away from each other after this case," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "I've already arranged it with Dr. Goodman. I'm going to be taking some vacation time soon."

"Where are you going to go?" Booth asked standing up in front of her.

"I haven't decided yet," she told him.

"Will you let me know when you do?" She nodded. He reached out to take her hand again and pulled her into a hug. "Don't give up on us, Temperance," he whispered into her ear. He pulled away slightly and kissed her lips tenderly.

By the time she opened her eyes, he was gone.

* * *

Temperance had been in Hawaii for a week and Booth had been sulking the entire time. She didn't say when she was going to be back and he knew she probably had an infinite amount of vacation time saved. He had decided that it would be good time for him to take some time off, too. He didn't want to risk having to get a temporary partner while she was gone and he didn't want to have to go to the Jeffersonian either. The Squints would surely hound him with a thousand questions. Angela had already called, but he managed to dodge her.

Booth hadn't done much with his time off, so far. Parker had come to stay with him the previous weekend and they had declared it a manly man's weekend. They watched movies, played video games and ate plenty of junk food, with the promise that he wouldn't tell his mother. The last thing he needed was a lecture from Rebecca on the proper way to raise his kid.

They had closed the case of Carol Montgomery after getting a search warrant for Ron Montgomery's home. Bones had found a wooden baseball bat that had been cleaned, but not very well. After taking it back to the lab for testing, they could see that the wood still had Carol's blood stained into it. Ron Montgomery had confessed after that. Their marriage had been struggling for years and it turned out that he was still seeing his mistress. He ratted her out, too. The knife that had been used in the murder was found in her home. They had plotted to kill Carol and now they were both going to jail for it. The children were sent to stay with Carol's mother.

What he wouldn't give to be on vacation with Temperance right then. He missed hearing her voice and her ongoing rants about any given topic. It made him wonder why he had been so resistant to her throughout their partnership. Maybe he had been fighting his true feelings for her. Reluctantly, he had to admit that it had always been a trait of his. If he didn't want to deal with something, he usual avoided it with sarcasm and smart remarks. He remembered getting in trouble for his smart mouth as a kid. Unfortunately, those remarks came back to haunt him and now he was left wondering if there was going to be a future for himself and Bones.

Flicking the television off, Booth laid back on the sofa. He wasn't the type of man that was used to waiting around for things. How could Bones realize that they were good together unless he was there to show her? She always followed logic and her logic said that they didn't belong together, but he could show her how to follow her heart and his heart said that they were made for each other.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly and the breeze was perfectly warm. The ocean was an unimaginable shade of blue and a person couldn't have asked for a more relaxing setting.

Temperance sat in her hotel room typing rapidly on her laptop. She decided that her time would be best spent working on her latest novel. Most writers would kill for a beautiful place like Hawaii to allow their muses to run free and hers had been all week. Angela tried to ban her from bringing the laptop, but that was something she refused to compromise on. She found writing about the fictional characters quite relaxing and besides, what if she needed to check her messages? Vacation or not, some things were too important to be pushed aside.

As busy as she was with her novel, thoughts of Booth wouldn't leave her. She missed him more than she thought she would and wasn't sure if she wanted a life without him in it. Maybe it would be best for them to stay partners and not lovers. It would be hard at first, but they were adults and they would work through it.

Temperance stood from the table and walked over to the huge bay window. The beach below was covered with people. She had gone out earlier that morning for a walk, but she didn't like to stay in the sun for too long. Grabbing her purse and hat from the bed, she decided that she would get a little shopping in. Angela told her not to come back unless she came bearing gifts.

* * *

The flight to Hawaii was almost over and Booth sat in the aisle seat listening as the old man next to him rambled on.

"Got a girlfriend?" the man asked with a smile.

Booth wasn't usually one to share his personal life with complete strangers, but he figured the old man didn't mean any harm. "Well, I'm not exactly sure…"

"Ah, got into a fight, huh?" he said with a knowing look. "My wife and I have been married for forty years and we still fight like cats and dogs."

"And you're happy that…"

"Speak up, son," the old man interrupted, leaning in to hear him better.

"And you're happy that way?" Booth asked raising his voice and feeling like an idiot as people stared.

"Sure, I'm happy. We don't always agree, but she's the best thing that ever happened to me," he said proudly. "I'd be a lost man if it weren't for her." He looked over at Booth. "Women are sensitive, son."

Booth barked a laugh. "Not this woman," he said.

"All women are sensitive, son. They may not always admit it and they might act all tough and proud, but they're sensitive alright."

Booth thought about it and realized that the old man was right. Bones was the most complicated woman he had ever known, but if this old man and his wife could be happy together for so long, then he knew they had a shot. Now, he just had to make her see it that way.

"You've just got to be gentle with 'em," the old man continued on, "and they like flowers and things, too."

* * *

Temperance was settling down in bed with her laptop when there was a knock at the door. She hadn't ordered any room service. Placing the computer aside and grabbing a light robe, she opened the door to find Booth standing there.

"What are you doing here?" She wasn't exactly upset and she wasn't overly ecstatic, but she was definitely surprised.

"I came to see you," he said, giving her his best smile. He could see the uncertainty on her face. "Look, I know that you came down here to think about things, but I think we should figure this out together, Temperance." He fidgeted as she continued to stare, making him nervous.

"I suppose that makes sense considering we're both involved in this…thing we have." She stepped aside for him to enter.

Booth stepped inside relieved.

"How did you know where I was staying?" she asked getting back into the bed. He was still standing with his hands behind his back.

"Angela."

She should have guessed. "Booth, what are you holding behind your back?"

"Um, well, I, ah, wanted to get you something nice." He stuck his hand out, full of flowers, and felt like an idiot. What the hell was he thinking buying Bones flowers?

"Booth, these are beautiful." She was up off of the bed and standing in front of him smelling the flowers. "Orchids are a popular flower in Hawaii. The Orchidaceae family is among the biggest and most diverse of the flowering plant families, with over 800 described genera and 25,000 species. Some sources give 30,000 species, but the exact number is unknown since..." She looked up from her speech to see him staring at her. "I'm sorry," she said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She turned away to sit the flowers on the table. "I'm sure you don't care to here the boring facts about orchids."

"No, Bones, its okay," he said walking over to her. He took a chance and placed his hands on her arms. It felt so good to touch her again. "I've thought a lot about what you said before you left and I don't want you to change." He had decided on the plane that it was going to be all or nothing. "You see, Bones, I fell in love with this woman who loves to learn about any and everything and she likes to share it with other people. She's the smartest person I've ever known…and the most stubborn and defiant…and she drives me crazy." He wasn't able to see the small smile that graced her lips. "Sometimes, I don't always treat her like she deserves to be treated and sometimes stupid things come out of my mouth…but at the same time…I don't know what I'd do without her." Booth stepped closer and buried his face into her soft hair. He knew he had it bad if he missed her this much after only one week.

Temperance turned around in his arms and stared into his eyes. "You love me?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Yeah," he whispered, "I do." He placed a finger under her chin and brought her face closer to his.

Temperance's heart beat wildly at the sincerity in his eyes. For the first time in her life, she was at a loss for words. She couldn't make sense of what she was feeling for this man.

Booth saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "Just go with it, Bones," he whispered before kissing her.

* * *

"How is it that all of my reasoning leaves me when you're around?" Temperance asked later as they lay on the bed cuddling. Her laptop had been closed and moved aside to the table.

"It's just an effect I seem to have on women," Booth grinned, his hand stroking her along her thigh lazily.

"Where's you're luggage?" she asked, her hand running through his hair.

"It's in my room on the second floor. I thought it would be pretty presumptuous to bring it with me. I mean, what if you had kicked me out on my ass?"

Temperance smiled. "You should go and get it and check out."

"Oh, yeah? Does that mean I get to stay here?" he said sitting up and leaning over her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Yeah," she said softly, "that means you get to stay." Their lips met in a warm kiss.

* * *

A short while later, all of Booth's things were moved into Bone's room. "How much longer do you plan on staying?" he asked taking off his t-shirt.

Temperance watched from the bed, her eyes roaming the smooth, tan skin of his chest. "I haven't actually decided," she said, continuing to watch as he stripped down to his underwear. "How long is your vacation?" she asked.

"I've got another week," he said, walking around to her side of the bed. He pulled her up and slowly untied the sash of her robe, revealing the short nightgown underneath. "We could stay here in Hawaii a little longer," he said softly, moving in to nuzzle her face.

Temperance moaned, loving the contrast of his rough skin against hers. "We could," she said. Her fingers trailed down until they hooked lightly into the waistband of his underwear. "Maybe," she began breathlessly, "you could teach me what couples do together on vacation. I've never actually taken a vacation with a man before." Her head lolled to the side, giving him full access to the soft skin of her neck.

Booth smiled. "Sounds good to me." He pulled her the hem of her gown up slowly and she lifted her arms for him to remove it. She stood before him in her panties and nothing else and his eyes drank in the breathtaking sight of body.

Temperance stepped closer and smoothed her hands across his hard chest. She trailed kisses from his shoulders to his lips where he quickly took control. Her fingers moved to the waistband of his boxers once again and as she pushed them passed his hips, she could feel his arousal pressing against her. She moved her hand between them, touching him and driving him crazy.

Booth groaned deeply at the feel of her hands. He couldn't wait any longer and pushed her panties down, gently caressing her. His fingers found moist flesh and he massaged until she was nearly limp in his arms.

"Is this part of what couples do on vacation?" she panted.

"Mm-hm," he answered. "They make love over and over until they can barely move." She smiled and bit his shoulder, loving the growl it drew from him. If this was how vacations were going to be from now on then she wouldn't mind taking them more often.

* * *

"Booth?" she said later from her spot on his chest.

"Hmm," came the tired response. He opened his eyes when he felt her move.

"I've never been in love before," she said looking down at him nervously.

Booth smiled and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't look so worried, Bones. Love is the best thing in the world when it's with the right person."

* * *

The week passed all too quickly and they were enjoying their last day together on the beach. Booth had convinced Temperance to sit with him with the promise of finding them an umbrella to sit under so her skin wouldn't burn. Her laptop hadn't been used one single time since he arrived and she was surprised to find that she didn't mind it. She never minded going on vacation alone, but Booth was showing her how great it was when you were with the person you loved.

She looked over where he was lying next to her on a lounge chair. "Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Is this the part where we joke about not going back to D.C.?"

_**The End**_


End file.
